Wonderful times with two lovely ladies: In the pottery studio with Joan and Joan

 have been taking pottery classes for almost three years now and I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  I have gotten a wonderful opportunity to meet some very great people: my teacher, Joan Spears, and my classmate, Joan Robinson.

I have found an avenue to create and develop my own pottery pieces but most of all I have found a way to develop more patience.

Joan and Joan are my constant companions every week.  They are both so cool, calm, and collected.  Nothing seems to rattle them and there always seems to be a solution to everything.

No challenge seems to be too big to overcome.  There never seems to be a problem too difficult to tackle, but most of all!  There is always an answer to every question!

When I first started my pottery classes I was a bit hesitant as to whether or not I, as a vision-impaired person, would be able to cope let alone create. But here I am almost three years later, enjoying my pottery making.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

We sure are a team! Mom and me, communicating

We are a team and bound and determined to make things work.  Mom sees and tells me what is around me.  I hear and tell Mom what is being said and spoken.

I need to speak more loudly now so that she can hear me and I need to keep reminding myself of this daily.  Mom knows that she needs to pay closer attention to when I speak because she does not hear as well any more.

She is a real trooper.  She works overtime to ensure that our communication remains free-flowing.  So in turn I need to do my part to ensure that this does not fall apart.  It is not the end of the world, just another challenge for us to deal with and find ways to overcome it.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Such wonderful times: Remembering the toys at school

It's funny how this particular memory keeps popping into my mind every so often and each time it does I enjoy it even more.  I can still picture the images of those precious little toys racing around in my mind.

From the peg board to the Lego's, from the alphabet board to the blocks and villages, the puzzles to the train sets, and the construction disks to the fishing game.

There were no computers or iDevices in those days.  Just toys that were meant to teach us, as vision-impaired kids, all kinds of different things. We learned the various shapes through our shape boards.  We learned how to build various objects through our Lego's, blocks, and construction sets and we learned our alphabet letters by having to fit the letters into slots on the board.

The alphabet board was probably one of my favorite toys followed by the villages which we used to construct mini villages.  We did it through the use of tiny plastic sticks, beads, and blocks.  Then there were mini trees, boats, and carriages to go along with these sets.

I must not forget the Plasticine and clay which our teachers often gave to us and then asked us to make various objects.  Anything from boats and baskets filled with eggs to bats and balls and airplanes.

Then we learned how to make paper planes and rockets and fly them outdoors. We made paper fans and picture frames and hats.  We made houses with our Lego's and the list went on and on.  Those were the days when we had to use our imaginations to create and I loved every moment of it all.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A cherished memory: When Dad left on his trip

I can still remember this particular day so clearly, as if it happened only yesterday.  It was a Saturday in early June many years ago and Dad was on his way to Europe with Uncle Ben and his cousins.

I did not want my dad to go because I knew that I would miss him so much and all day long I remember dreading the time he would have to leave.  I was not sure what I would do but one thing for sure was that I knew that Mom would do her best to distract me enough that I would not notice him leaving. This was exactly what she and Granny did.

A family friend brought his daughter over to play with me and so absorbed was I that I never knew when Dad left and when I finally realized that he was gone I burst into tears.  I was not mad that he had left without saying goodbye to me; I was mad that I did not even notice.

I went into his room and laid on his bed and sobbed into his pillows.  Then I turned over on my back and began to pray that he would return the next day but that was never going to be possible.  So I satisfied myself by inhaling the scent of the remaining dregs of his cologne and after a while I joined the rest of the family in the kitchen.

Looking back on it now, it is really interesting how the scent of Dad's cologne helped to calm me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A funny experience: When the kettle leaked

Looking back at this particular instance it was not very funny at the time but now I can smile a bit more when remembering.

At first, no one seemed to know where the water that was making puddles on my counter had come from.  One guess was that it had come from up above via a leak in the ceiling.  Another guess was that it came from a tap that had been left running and that the water had overflowed onto the counter.  Then we figured it out.

The poor old kettle was the culprit, so to speak.  We had filled it too full and as a result the water came running out.  This could happen to anyone but when you are vision impaired it takes a bit more thinking and figuring out to identify the reason.

Sometimes my head hurts just trying to figure out things but I have to accept this and just deal with it.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

All in a day's work: Reminders for the Management Office

This is a constant process for me but one that is very necessary.

I live in a condo building and I naturally depend on the Management Office to let me know whenever such activities as fire alarm testing, water shut offs, heating and air conditioning maintenance, and other types of safety and security activities are going to take place.  In addition, to provide me with schedules for our superintendents.

Sometimes they remember to email me the notices that they also stick in our doors but a lot of the time they do not and it is at these times that I need to phone them and remind them.

I have a great neighbor and friend who keeps me up to date whenever notices are stuck in our doors so if she tells me something and I have not received a notice via email, this is when I need to remind the Management Office.

This is a work in progress and I am not sure if it is going to change.  It is one of the challenges of living in a condo complex and there is nothing to be done about it.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Refreshing experiences: At the Apple Store

I can definitely tell you that any time I have visited the Apple Store for assistance with any of my iDevices, I have come away feeling so excited and delighted. These visits have been nothing but a treat for me as the store's technicians really know their products and when it comes to working with a vision impaired person, they are second to none.

They are on top of their game, so to speak.  They know their stuff and I have been able to learn so much from them.  They teach me about apps that I never even heard of and they increase my knowledge of my own iDevices.

Now, if only other companies could follow suit!  This would surely make life so much simpler!  It's all about top notch customer service and technical support, and oh yes!  Making the customer their priority!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Daily challenges: Those recycled bags

Yes, they are a real challenge for me and if I want to be on top of things then I need to be super organized.  I need to ensure that I put the right stuff for recycling in the right bags or else I will be in big trouble.

Added to all of this is that I need to remember which stuff should be put into which bags.  A real chore?  Indeed!  But I need to do my part to sustain our environment and to ensure that our kids have a shot at a cleaner and brighter future.

So, I need to call on my memory, my will power, and oh yes!  To make the time to take my recycled bags down to the recycling room.  The one thing that I find is that those bags may be strong but do not let them rip on you!  They rip so easily and then they literally disintegrate all over the place making it harder for me to go after them.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A challenge: When the cable box refuses to cooperate

Now, whenever my beloved cable box is in a good mood then there is nothing preventing it from working like a charm.  However, whenever it feels in a mood to be either nasty or that I do not seem to be doing something right, then here is where things can get very testy.

When these moments occur, and because I have no way of knowing what is being displayed on the screen of my cable box, I am practically in limbo. If there is no sighted person around to assist me, then I am truly at a loss.

How I wish that we could have access to talking cable boxes.  What a great thing this could be.  At least for a sighted person it is easy for them to see the display and lights on the box, but alas!  For me it is practically impossible.

Sometimes I get lucky using the methodical approach. I reconnect with my cable box by pressing buttons that others have shown me, but I can tell you that these times are not always there for me.

Ah, yes!  The joys of interacting with my cable box.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Some musings: Who was it really?

Sometimes I am not very sure who I have just spoken to and this often happens whenever I approach the service desk at a hotel, restaurant, or even at a store.

Sometimes I think that I am talking to the one whose voice I have just heard but then again I am often caught off guard.  It is often a very humorous situation and I try not to either laugh out loud or to smile lest someone thinks that I am crazy.

These situations normally take place whenever someone responds to me but then walks away without letting me know, or that I think that I am speaking to someone but it's someone else that I am talking to.  Or some of the time I may not be talking to anyone because the voice that I thought I heard was someone else talking to another person.

Funny, you may think, and I agree because if I want to keep my sanity then this is how I need to approach life.  These are some of the more interesting experiences that I encounter as someone who is vision impaired.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A minor challenge: Challenges with an AC

These challenges normally arise when I stay at a hotel during the summer. In the normal scheme of things there is no way to really tell how I should go about setting the temperature and it all has to do with trial and error.

I prefer to try things out on my own and it takes lots of patience and perseverance.  However, I sometimes get lucky the first time around and I am able to do the settings to my satisfaction.

I would love to be able to find a way whereby I could receive audio cues as I go about setting the temps but I am not sure how this would be or could be accomplished.  So for now, I'll just have to put up with things.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Reflections: Those spanking new windows

It was worth the wait and now they are here.  I cannot appreciate their beauty but friends and family tell me that they look so good!  My windows are finally here!

I love them because they keep out the cold air during the winter and when summer rolls around we shall see how they stand up to the frightfully hot outdoor humidity.

There was a lot of work to be done before they finally came.  I needed help to pack things away and move furniture away from the windows and balcony doors.  Things needed to be covered up so as to prevent dust from making a muck of everything.

I know that I was so very worried as to how things would go before the actual date but thankfully everything worked out fine and with my friends Sue, Sandra, and Gabriella to help out, all's well that ends well.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Precious memories forever: When the dogs greeted me

Oh, boy!  I can still remember those flailing tails and booming voices of my dogs as they used to greet me when I would come home from school or from anywhere else.  They would be jumping all around me and then leaping to my shoulders to catch my attention but the most memorable moment was when I returned home from England after having spent a year there as a student.

For one fleeting moment I thought that they would have forgotten me but how wrong I was.  No, no!  Not at all!  As soon as they saw me they went crazy!

They barked!  They howled with delight!  They danced and flailed their tails!  And all I could do was to simply stand there and reach out my arms to them!  Ah, yes!  They were my most loyal friends!  My Lion and my Tiger!

Then the whole episode was repeated days later when I traveled to my granny's home to see Boyo and Brownie!  No difference!  Same loyal and loving reception!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan